Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-10

CfOuDIe, n Cn6 maGCor now tan is Tor
the Union Pacific and the Northern Pacific
to compromise the question, the former
taking the salt and the latter the coke bust.
ness. The geographical. conditions ought
naturally to govern this business. For in
stance, the Northern Pacific secures it's sup
ply oisalt principally from Saginaw, Michi-
gan, They not only have the long haul,
butlabor under the disadvantage Of having
to buy their. supply in, the summer, pay
~}reight'by' the lakes and storage at Duluth.
The best they can 10 is to deliver at $3.50
per ton. Their haul is from 1900 to l 800
miles as against the short haul OF the Union
Pacific from Utah. So it is clear that the
Northern Pacific. reluctant though it may
be, could we'll afford to relinquish
this business in consideration of the
Union Pacific giving up competition on the
coke haul, the geographical conditions of
which are favorable to them, having the
assurance, of. President Smith, Of the
Tacoma Coal Company, that he could dis:
count 'Con~nelsville. prices Sc per tor, his
coke sustaining a severe test in the Par.
rott, 40 stated in The MINER the other
day. Besides, the Northern Pacific people
have demonstrated through the Livingston
Coal and Coke Company and the, utiliza-
tion OF their product at Wickes, that
they can undersell the yConnelsville
companies. These, facts and figures
show conclusively~ that while the
Union Pacific has every advantage over the
Northern Pacific in the matter of the salt
situation. the latter has the tcall on them
on cheap coke, Now. aas We have stated, if
these great. trapscontinental. companies,
effect a compromise OF the. coke and
salt traffic, they can accomplish much for
tho betterment Of the mining business of
Butte. and Tor themselves in the freight
traffic that they will thus promote. And
to this end We would urge that q meeting of
the traffic managers Of the two great trans
continental lines be called At an early date
in their. y mutual interest.
,r. ...-.
In the meantime, We join in the call of
our esteemed evening contemporary. the
Inter Mountain, for. q special meeting of the
Butte Board Of Trade, that the serious
ness oil, the. situation on the salt question
shall, I've brought with full force and effect
to the. attention, OF the, railway authori-
ties, who are equally interested with our
business interests in building up the traf-
&c business and the industries OF Butte,
interests which are collaterally dependent
upon each other. The interests .of :. these
great transcontinentai companies are
identical with those of the. city OF Butte.
There 10 no reason in the world why they
should be antagonistic. And We have
full faith that Mr.. Potter, of the Union
Pacific, and Mr.. Cakes, Of the Northern Pa.
eifc, will take this broad and enlightened
view of the subject when their attention has
been. attracted to it by SO influential a body !
Of business men as constitute the Butte
Board of Trade, and to that end we would
advise harmonious and united action, 1t
10 the special province and mission Of the
Board 6f Trade to take action in great
emergencies like this.
That this ID an emergency calling for de-
sisive action, cannot he questioned in the
lace OF the gravity OF the situation which
eonfronts us ~ a city OF resources OF rare
but disastrous drawback in the
way Of excessive and oppressive transpor.
tatfon charges ON commodities that are a
nseessity in our leading industry. The
railways can but recognize this fact, and
they must see that their own interests are
involved when they come to consider that
seven millions and more are paid out per
year to them for transportation charges.
One OF the iollies exemplided by fable was
the killing Of the goose that laid the golden
segs. Can the,Unio Pacific and the North
Pacific afford to realize the living prin.
sipls Of this tablet We think mott